Portable photographic dark room.



Patented Oct. 8, |901.

T. ICCUSKEB.

PURTABLE PHOTOGRAPHIE DARK RUUI.

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2 m Uuifixllllll. )l1 IPI! misses a msmruemmrofmnqlymma/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS MCCUSKER, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

PORTABLE PHOTO'GRAPHIC DA`RK ROOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684, 292,* dated October 8, 1901.

Application led December 20, 1900. Serial No. 40.529. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MCCUsKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a certain new and useful Portable Photographic Dark Room, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to portable dark rooms, the object in view being to provide a.

ease or box which may be readily carried from place to place by a photographer and which will enable him, either in daylight or darkness,'to load and unload plate=holders without danger of fogging. The device when set up is sufficiently large to contain the camera, plate-holders, dac., and when folded assumes the form of a compact rectangular case which may be readily carried at the side, the case being equipped with a suitable handle for that purpose. The several parts of the box or dark room are so associated and connected that the box or case may be readily extended and set up and as quickly collapsed and folded.

The detailed objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully in the course of the ensuing description.

The invention consists in a portable dark room embodying certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and incorporated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a. portable dark room constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown set up in readiness for use. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device folded, ready for transportation. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the box or case in its extended condition. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the box or case closed, as in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional vieW showing the manner of'hinging the sections of the folding top.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the draw-y ings.

The portable dark room contemplated in this invention comprises a pair of end frames 1 and 2, which are connected by a sectional hinged top 3 and a sectional hinged bottom 4. Both of the end frames 1 and 2 are preferably rectangular in shape, and the frame l is rabbeted to receive a correspondingly-rabbeted door 5, hinged at one edge to the framel and provided at its free edge with a catch 6 for holding the door closed during the operation of loading and unloading plates. The object in rabbeting the door and frame is to provide a light-tight joint and obviate admission of white light. The other end frame 2 is closed by an opaque end wall 7, which is provided with an opening 8, in which is tted a rubyglass window 9. At opposite sides of the opening 8 are rabbeted cleats 10, in which is slidingly iitted a lamp-box 11, adapted to receive a lamp, candle, or other suitable illuminating device, the inner side of said box being open, so that the rays of light may be transmitted through the ruby-glass window 9 to illuminatethe interior of the box with a safe light. The lamp-box 1l is removed to introd uee or remove the illuminating device and may be detached for the purpose of storage or transportation.

The top 3 of the box or case comprises a plurality of hinged sections or frames l2 and 13, the same being hinged together at their meeting edges, as shown at 14, and hinged at their outer edges to the end frames 1 and 2, respectively, as shown at 15. The sections 12 and 13 are provided with panes 16 of ruby glass to enable the operator to examine his Work. The bottom 4 is constructed similarly to the top 3, comprising sections 17 and 18, which are hinged together at their meeting edges, as at 19, and hinged to the out-er edges of the frame, as at 20. lt will be seen upon examination of Figs. 3 and 4 that the hinges 14 of the top are out of vertical alinement with the hinges 19 of the bottom and that the hinges 15 at the top are correspondingly out of alinement with the hinges 20 at the bottom, so that when the box or case is collapsed and folded the sections l2 and 13 of the top will lie at one side of the-sections 17 and 18 of the bottom, thus enabling the device to be folded into the compact form illustrated clearly in Fig. 4.

The back of the box consists of a pair of doors or hinged sections 21, hinged to the end frames and rabbetedat-their meeti-ng'edges to form a light-tight joint. The front also comprises doors or sections hinged to the end frames out of line with the hinges of the back` sections, so that the front and back sections 2l and 22 may be folded inward flat vagainst each other and between the folding top and bottom sections and the end walls of thebox, as shown in Fig. 4. The front sections 22 are provided with a pair of hand-holes 23, covered by sleeves 24, the edges of which are gathered, as shownat 25, and eqnipped'with elastic webbing or bands that will clasp snugly around the wrists or arms of the-operator.- The sleeves 24 are conical in shape and need not be'more'than several inches in lengthysof that-theoperator may thrust his arms through the-holes @without the necessity of 'carefully adjusti-ngthe sleeves about his wrists.- The construction described enables the operator to freely' move his hands about'within the case or box in'manipulating the plates and plate-holders or camera. W'hent the box vor caseis set up, the front and backY sections prevent the collapseof the top and bottom sections.

The box or caseis equipped witha suitable carrying-handle 26 and is also preferably provided with fastening hooks andeyes 27,'whicl17 connect and hold together the end frames l and 2 after the device has been collapsed.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I vhave provided a simple, conven-` ient,` and efficient portable dark room Whichset' up for use and is readily folded or collapsed for 'storage ortransporta-V may be quickly The dark room may be `manufactured *in' toV load `and unload hisy plate-holders while traveling. j

Instead of employing the doors vor hinged sections 21 and 22 the end frames and top andV bottom sections may be provided vwith pins or hooks 28, upon which opaque cloth'may be impaled-and stretched to form the front and backof thel box.

tails of construction hereinabove described,as numerous changes may be made in the form,

proportion, and details of construction with# out departing from the principles of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A portable dark room'consistin g of a col;4 lapsible box comprising endframes, hinged v and sectional top and bottom walls, and secl The construction previ ouslydescribed is, however, the preferred one.' I do not desire to be limited tothe exact de tional folding front and back Walls connected to the end frames, all of'v'said parts 'being hinged so as to fold inward iiatwise together Without disconnecting them, substantially as described.

2. A portable dark room, comprising end frames movable toward and away from each other, hinged sectional top and bottom Walls yconnected tothe endhframes and having their Iseveral hinges located out of alinement with each other, and folding front and back Walls connected to the end frames, all of said parts being hinged soas to fold inward iiatwise together Without disconnecting them, substantially as described.

3. A portable dark room, comprising end walls movable toward and' awayfromvleach other,y` ahinged door lnountedfin fone ofthe* en'd frames'for givingaccess' to'the fcasingf; when-set up,topand bottom walls'composed 85 of hinged sectionsl hinged'to each otherand to the end frames, and folding front fandfba'c'k Walls connected to theend framesfallof said parts being hinged so as to fold inward'flat-v wise together without disconnecting rthem, 9o substantially'as described.

4. A portabledark room, comprising-end framesv movable toward and' awayffroln each other, top and bottom walls:composedofsec-4 tions hinged to each rotherandto'theend'rgg` frames, oneor more of the-sections ofthetol'j' being provided with transparent panesyiaud': sectional front and backwalls connected to'- the vend-frames-,the lfront'wall beingprovid'ed with elastic hand-holes,-an'dall of said partsrco beinghinged so as to `fold inward' flatwise'td gether Without disconnecting them,-subst'ani tially as andfor the purpose'specified: I

5; A portable dark room;- comprisingfV end" framesmovable toward and'awaylfromieac'h' 105 other, top-and vbottom-walls eachicomposed'of a plurality of sections hinged :to eachother and to the end frames, and foldingifront and' rear wallsections connected to the end frames, the top and bottom sections beingghinged out-*11o of'alinemenhso as to foldinwardand'lie si'd'e" by side when the end frames are moved togetheigvallof said parts being'hingedlso; as to fold inward flatwise together without disconnecting them, scribed. A p

6. A portable dark room-comprisingrelasv tively movable end frames,'top and bottoni? walls each composed'of sections fhinged to# gether and to the endframes, and' front and rear wall sections hinged to the'endframes", all'of the topandbottonrandA front' andY back sections being arranged-to foldinwardandlie Hat-wise together inclosed between the ends oli"5 the -box without disconnecting an y? of" sai'd parts, substantially as'fdescri'be'd;`

7'. A portable darkroomcomprisi-ngfend frames movable'tow'ard and away from each-- other, hinged and inwardly-folding top and" bottom walls connecting theend' framesfin 13o substantially. as* dewmdly-folding front and back walls con- In testimony whereof I affix my signature nected to the end frames, al1 of said parte bein presence of two witnesses. ing adapted to be folded inward atwise together Without disconnecting them, a rubyglass window located in one of the end frames, Witnesses: and a detachable lamp-box arranged to cover C. A. MALBOEUF, said window, substantially as described.

THOMAS MCCUSKER.

, XV. H. JENKINS. 

